Dhaagey: The Ties that Bind Us

40. hold on

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone that came right back for Dhaagey, it was so wonderful to read through all the comments for the last chapter! Moving onto the next one, I hope y'all like this chapter! It was hard to write, but really rewarding. See you on the other side!

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Meerab woke with a gasp, her lungs burning as if she had been drowning in her sleep, her body fighting for air, for something to hold onto. Her fingers clutched at the sheets beneath her, her chest rising and falling in sharp, uneven breaths as the last remnants of her dream slipped away into the darkness. She had been dreaming—she knew she had—but the moment she opened her eyes, it was gone, like ink dissolving in water.

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

Something is wrong.

She didn't know what it was, couldn't grasp the shape of it, but it was there—an oppressive weight in the air, a cold whisper curling around her throat. The feeling crept over her like a shadow, slow and insidious, curling around her ribs, tightening with each breath she took. She blinked into the darkness, her heartbeat thudding in her ears, trying to steady the frantic rhythm of her pulse. The air felt heavy. Stifling. It clung to her skin, thick with something unseen but felt, an omen, a warning, a quiet whisper of danger just beyond her reach.

She felt cold.

Something clawed at her from within—an unease so thick it made her stomach churn. A restlessness, a fear she couldn't name.

And then she remembered.

Her dream... it had been about Murtasim.

A sharp pang of unease lanced through her, cutting through the haze of sleep. She turned in bed, her body moving before her mind could catch up, seeking him in the dark. He would be there. She had fallen asleep beside him, his warmth had been the last thing she remembered—his hand wrapped around hers, his breath steady against the back of her neck, grounding her, comforting her.

But he wasn't there.

Her heart lurched.

Her hands splayed across the empty sheets, searching, feeling – they were cold.

He hadn't just stepped away. He had been gone for a while.

Her pulse spiked.

Meerab turned sharply, fumbling for the switch on the bedside lamp, her fingers trembling as she clicked it on. Warm, golden light flooded the room, chasing away the darkness—but not the unease. If anything, it only made it worse. The soft glow illuminated the emptiness beside her, the stark proof that she had been alone for longer than she realized.

Something is wrong.

The silence was heavy, unnatural. The air felt off. The very walls of the room seemed to lean in, pressing against her, whispering something she couldn't understand.

Her eyes landed on a note. A single slip of paper, placed neatly beside her phone.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as she reached for it, her fingers tightening around the edges.

The words were written in his handwriting.

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Meri Meerab,

Hopefully, I'll be back before you see this. Something came up at the village, I have to go check it out. I'll be back in the morning.

I love you.